Choc-Oat-Chip Cookie Bars

I love chocolate chip cookies and I love oatmeal cookies, so this recipe is the perfect combination of both of my loves. You can make these as either traditional cookies (should make 4 dozen) or as cookie bars.

Here's what you need:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of quick or old fashioned oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Here's what you need to do:

Preheat oven to 375
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy
Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract
Gradually beat in the flour mixture
Stir in oats and chips
Either spread in prepared pan or drop by the spoonful on cookie sheets
If making cookies bake for 9-10 minutes for chewy cookies or 12-13 minutes for crispy cookies
If making cookie bars, bake for around 30 minutes until cooked through.
Cool and enjoy!

Even Scott liked these and he is not a big oatmeal fan. If you don't want to do triple chocolate chip, pick your favorite and do 2 cups of them.

The Ultimate Cake Mix Cookie Book Pt. 2

I already reviewed the drop cookies from The Ultimate Cake Mix Cookie Cook Book and today I'm doing one of the cookie bar recipes. This is the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars. I will say I did see a typo in this recipe and didn't realize it until I was typing it out. In the book it mentions you need vanilla, but it never tells you when to put it in, but based on all of my baking knowledge, I'm guessing you add it with the cream cheese and sugar.

What you need:

• 1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
• 3/4 (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease or line a 13x9 inch baking pan
• Place the cake mix, butter, and 1 egg in a large bowl.
• Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes until blended.
• Stir in the oats with a wooden spoon. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cake mixture.
• Press remaining mixture into prepared pan.
• Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and remaining 2 eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes until smooth.
• Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over crust.
• Mix remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips into reserved crumbs, then sprinkle over cheesecake layer.
• Bake 35-40 minutes or until topping is crisp-looking and golden.
• Run knife around sides of pan to loosen bars.
• Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
• Chill at least 2 hours, then cut into bars.

These are super yummy! Aaron helped me make them and everything. Be sure to check back next week because I'll be doing one of the specialty cookie recipes.

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